Swanky Japanese spot coming to South Beach with revolving sushi - Alo Japan

A sleek new Japanese restaurant is coming to Lincoln Road this October with theatrical performances and a sushi conveyor belt.

New South Beach Japanese restaurant Ukiyo will open in October 2026 with conveyor belt sushi, theatrical performances, and beautiful decor.

Rendering by Casa Medina Design Studio/UKIYO

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This past summer, Miami sushi fans collectively gasped when tiny, conveyor-belt sushi hotspot Katana announced it was expanding beyond its beloved Normandy Isle home with a second location on Coral Way.

Now, fans of the sushi-go-round experience are getting something very different on Lincoln Road. Ukiyo, a sprawling new Japanese restaurant, is set to open in mid-October on the second level of 818 Lincoln Road, taking over the space formerly occupied by the short-lived ORO.

And unlike the intimate, no-frills conveyor-belt restaurants many Miamians may be used to, this one is going big: nearly 7,500 square feet of indoor-outdoor space, a contemporary dining room, roaming food carts, tableside cooking, live performances and, of course, plenty of sushi making its way around a conveyor belt.

Throughout the evening, new rounds of sushi will be released onto the conveyor belt

Rendering by Casa Medina Design Studio/UKIYO

A sushi experience with tableside theatrics

The centerpiece is the conveyor belt, where sushi chefs will prepare nigiri, sashimi, and specialty rolls with fish sourced directly from Japan, then send them on their merry way around the room. “Freshness isn’t our goal; it’s our starting point,” says executive chef Nono Shigetomi. “Every ingredient is selected with intention because great sushi begins long before the fish reaches the plate.”

Those who don’t want to wait for dinner to come rolling by will have plenty of other options. An à la carte menu will include fire-charred robata skewers, tempura, crudo and carpaccio, while a roaming dumpling cart will make its way around the dining room carrying an assortment of dumplings with different dressings and sauces. Staff will guide diners through the selections and finish each order with garnishes tableside.

There will also be some tableside theatrics. Traditional kamameshi, a Japanese rice dish cooked with meat, seafood, or vegetables in a small pot called a kama, will be prepared fresh at the table in individual pots.

Rendering by Casa Medina Design Studio/UKIYO

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Sushi, gongs, and live performances

And because a new Miami hotspot can rarely get away with simply feeding you, Ukiyo is adding live entertainment.

Throughout the evening, new rounds of sushi will be released onto the conveyor belt with the strike of a gong. Plus, Japanese dancers in traditional costumes and drummers will perform throughout dinner service.

It all sounds decidedly grandiose, perhaps even flirting with “clubstaurant” (club-restaurant) territory. The restaurant seems ideal for date nights, special occasions, and a livelier night out. However, despite the built-in spectacle, the team says it wants to become a neighborhood staple rather than a special-occasion-only restaurant.

Casa Medina Design Studio designed the visually stunning restaurant

Rendering by Casa Medina Design Studio/UKIYO

A new kind of conveyor-belt sushi for Miami

Casa Medina Design Studio designed the visually stunning restaurant. Its interiors feature Rosso Lepanto stone, emerald-toned leathered marble, handcrafted millwork, aged brass detailing, and Japanese-inspired lantern lighting.

Even its name hints at the experience Ukiyo aims to deliver. Derived from the Japanese ukiyo, or “floating world,” the restaurant positions itself as more immersive than a traditional sushi dinner.

For anyone who likes their sushi rolls and robata grill dishes with a little spectacle, the belt should start moving this October.

Ukiyo. 818 Lincoln Rd., Miami Beach. Opening mid-October 2026.

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Michelle Muslera is a Miami-based writer who covers the food scene in South Florida. Previously, she served as Zagat’s Miami editor for two years. Originally from Argentina, she has a passion for all things French and is on a constant hunt for perfectly crusty bread and custardy canelés.

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